Leadership Foundations Program 2025

Summary Report · Prepared 2025-10-29

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Program snapshot

Cohort

16 participants across Recreation, Aquatics, and Children’s Services.

Model & Duration

11-month blended program in 4 blocks (LMS + journal + webinars + F2F workshop).

Completion criteria

100% Reflective Journal & ≥75% Face-to-Face attendance.

2025 results

68.8%
Completed (11/16)
84.4%
Avg. F2F attendance
79.7%
Avg. journal completion
Key story: Strong F2F engagement; non-completion primarily reflects journal gaps (plus F2F shortfall for two participants).

Descriptor

The Leadership Foundations Program (LFP) is a structured year-long development journey designed to build the core capabilities of emerging and current leaders. The program develops leadership effectiveness through progressive stages — from intrapersonal skills to interpersonal influence, people management, and daily leadership excellence — using experiential learning, reflective practice, and targeted skills development within YMCA South Australia’s values-based culture.

Purpose

To cultivate emotionally intelligent, self-aware, and adaptive leaders who can confidently manage themselves and others, foster high-performing teams, and contribute to a positive, inclusive workplace culture.

Cohort personas (typical roles)

Future Leader

Future Leader

First-year People Leader

First-year People Leader

Experienced Manager

Experienced Manager

Learning outcomes

  • Self-awareness & self-regulation: recognise strengths/values; manage emotions effectively.
  • Emotional intelligence in practice: build empathy, trust, and collaboration.
  • People & Culture integrity: apply organisational policies and Fair Work principles.
  • Communication & work management: clarity, delegation, time & priority management.
  • Growth mindset & continuous improvement: seek feedback and apply reflective practice.

Schedule & structure

  • Duration: 11 months
  • Blocks: 4 blocks (~11 weeks each)
  • Per block: 4 LMS + 4 reflective journals + 2×60-min webinars + 1×7-hr F2F

Quarter 1 — Leadership Foundations: Self-Discovery

Topics: VIA strengths, values→behaviours, personal SWOT; foundations for calm, consistent leadership.

Outcome: shared language for strengths and purpose; improved self-regulation.

Quarter 2 — Emotionally Intelligent Leadership

Topics: EI self-assessments, feedback models, conflict tools, team charters.

Outcome: better psychological safety behaviours; earlier, cleaner conflict resolution.

Quarter 3 — People & Culture Mythbusters

Topics: Fair Work micro-learning (hiring, performance, diversity/discrimination), documentation standards, TANDA training; F2F with P&S.

Outcome: uplift in policy confidence; reduced risk of procedural error.

Quarter 4 — Daily Leadership Skills

Topics: Delegation frameworks, presentation skills, prioritisation (Covey/Eisenhower), daily leadership habits.

Outcome: sharper direction-setting, clearer delegation, and stronger follow-through.

79.7%
Reflective Leadership Journal (avg)
67.3%
Online Seminars (avg)
(not required for completion)
84.4%
Face-to-Face Workshops (avg)
Delivery status: All LMS modules and all four F2F workshops delivered to plan.

Completed (11)

Nicola Woolford, Andrew Truong, Elizabeth Krznaric, Jarrad Thomas Seaman, Lucy Ligertwood, Kelsey Frost, Kyle Diamond, Maria Pereira, Travis Robert Smith, Clarissa Sartain, Erin Wright.

Not yet completed (5) — reasons vs criteria

  • Cooper Martin: Journal 50%
  • Ankit Rawat: Journal 5%, F2F 50%
  • Jessica Guare: Journal 25%, F2F 50%
  • Susan Grigg: Journal 25%
  • Shayla Mailes: Journal 70%
Observation: Non-completion is primarily due to Reflective Journal shortfalls; two participants also fall below the F2F threshold.
  • Capability uplift: Shared EI and feedback language; greater confidence with Fair Work processes and documentation.
  • Operational hygiene: Clearer agendas, improved delegation, and more reliable follow-through reported.
  • Culture signals: Increased appreciation behaviours and balanced feedback in practice and journals.
  1. Manager sign-off on behaviour change: Line managers confirm one–two observable leadership behaviours at ~60 days post-program.
  2. Refocus the curriculum mix: Reduce technical/legislative content (retain essentials); strengthen intra/interpersonal skills.
  3. Streamline topics (four → three blocks):
    • Self-Discovery
    • Emotionally Intelligent Leadership
    • Daily Leadership Skills
  4. Micro-credential: Internal digital badge on verified completion (lists outcomes and artefacts).

What we heard (qualitative)

  • EI & self-awareness: stronger language for triggers; calmer responses under pressure.
  • Communication & feedback: role-plays increased confidence for earlier, clearer conversations.
  • People & Culture / Fair Work: micro-learning clarified processes; confidence uplift.
  • Daily habits: Covey/Eisenhower and delegation tools improved planning and follow-through.
  • Delivery: F2F sessions rated highly; minor suggestion to trim some webinar overlap.

Survey snapshots

Overall satisfaction (100% positive)
83% Extremely
17% Very
Helpfulness of content
100% Very helpful
Program length perception
83% Appropriate
17% Too long
Number of interactions
100% Just right
ParticipantJournalF2FStatus
Nicola Woolford100%100%Completed
Andrew Truong100%100%Completed
Elizabeth Krznaric100%100%Completed
Jarrad Thomas Seaman100%75%Completed
Lucy Ligertwood100%100%Completed
Kelsey Frost100%75%Completed
Kyle Diamond100%100%Completed
Maria Pereira100%100%Completed
Travis Robert Smith100%100%Completed
Clarissa Sartain100%100%Completed
Erin Wright100%75%Completed
Cooper Martin50%75%Not yet completed
Ankit Rawat5%50%Not yet completed
Jessica Guare25%50%Not yet completed
Susan Grigg25%75%Not yet completed
Shayla Mailes70%75%Not yet completed
Group A Group B Group C